Thai Police launches 'Operation Valentine' to clear protesters

Bangkok: Thousands of Thai riot police on Friday launched "Operation Valentine" to clear public areas occupied for weeks by opposition-backed protesters as they reclaimed the besieged government headquarters without any resistance.

The move marked a shift from earlier government policy as so far embattled premier Yingluck Shinawatra had not taken any action, allowing protesters to take over state buildings, major intersections and set up tents on the road.

Police easily re-took areas around Government House as most protesters appeared to have left the area already, media reports said.

Yingluck said on Thursday that she is ready to cooperate and support efforts to help end the political crisis. Her remarks came as several parties attempted to broker talks between the caretaker government and the anti-government protest movement People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

Yingluck said she was not in a position to directly engage in negotiations as there were several legal procedures that must be followed.

She said the immediate solution would be to bring the country back to normalcy and completing the election so that there are enough MPs to convene the new parliament.

The February 2 polls were boycotted by the opposition Democrat Party whose supporters also blocked several polling stations in Bangkok and the southern parts of the country.

Anti-government protest leader Suthep Thausuban said the political conflict could be resolved only if premier Yingluck and her administration quit.

Democrat Party said it will continue pursuing legal action against the caretaker government even though the Constitutional Court on Wednesday threw out their petition asking for the February 2 election to be declared null and void.

Yingluck said she had assigned her deputy Phongthep Thepkanjana to discuss with the EC about how to solve the problems related to the election.

The EC has set a date of April 27 for re-polling in constituencies where voting was disrupted on February 2.

Anti-government demonstrators have occupied major intersections in Bangkok and blocked several government ministries to pressure Yingluck to make way for an unelected"People's Council" to carry out reforms aimed at curbing the dominance of the Shinawatra clan.

The protesters accuse Yingluck of acting as a puppet for her brother Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a coup in 2006. He lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai to escape a jail term for graft.